Tag: WHO

WHO confirms first fatal human case of H5N2 bird flu

GENEVA, June 5, 2024 (AFP) – A person died of bird flu in Mexico in the first confirmed case of a human infected with the H5N2 variant, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. The 59-year old, who died on April 24 after developing fever, shortness of breath, diarrhoea and nausea, had “no history of exposure to poultry or other animals” and “multiple underlying medical conditions”, the WHO said in a statement. The resident of the […]

Use of alcohol and e-cigarettes among youth ‘alarming’: WHO

By Camille BAS-WOHLERT COPENHAGEN, April 24, 2024 (AFP) – The widespread use of alcohol and e-cigarettes among adolescents is “alarming”, according to a report released on Thursday by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) European branch, which recommended measures to limit access. Based on survey data from 280,000 young people aged 11, 13 and 15 in Europe, Central Asia and Canada, the WHO said it showed a “concerning picture” of substance use among young people. “The […]

‘Staggering’ number of workers facing climate change-induced health hazards: UN

GENEVA, April 22, 2024 (AFP) – A large majority of workers worldwide are facing a cocktail of health hazards linked to climate change, the UN said Monday, warning that existing regulations were not equipped to offer adequate protection. “A staggering number of workers are already being exposed to climate change-related hazards in the workplace, and these figures are only likely to get worse,” the United Nations’ International Labour Organization said in a report. Agricultural workers […]

Human cases of bird flu ‘an enormous concern’: WHO

The World Health Organization voiced alarm Thursday at the growing spread of H5N1 bird flu to new species, including humans, who face an “extraordinarily high” mortality rate. “This remains I think an enormous concern,” the UN health agency’s chief scientist Jeremy Farrar told reporters in Geneva. The current bird flu outbreak began in 2020 and has led to the deaths of tens of millions of poultry, with wild birds also infected as well as land […]

cyberbullying

Almost one child in six is cyberbullied: WHO Europe

By Camille BAS-WOHLERT COPENHAGEN, March 27, 2024 (AFP) – Some 16 percent of children aged 11 to 15 were cyberbullied in 2022, up from 13 percent four years ago, a WHO Europe report covering 44 countries said on Wednesday. “This report is a wake-up call for all of us to address bullying and violence, whenever and wherever it happens,” WHO regional director for Europe Hans Kluge said in a statement. Fifteen percent of boys and […]

10 key dates on the path to a pandemic accord

By Robin MILLARD GENEVA, March 25, 2024 (AFP) – Here are 10 key dates on the pathway towards the signing of an international accord on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response: May 19, 2020 World Health Organization member states call for an “impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation” of the handling of Covid-19 which will “make recommendations to improve capacity for global pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response”. July 9, 2020 WHO launches the Independent Panel for Pandemic […]

Few women know alcohol linked to breast cancer: WHO Europe

Just one in five women in Europe are aware that alcohol is a risk factor for developing breast cancer, a “major” health concern in the region, the World Health Organization warned Friday. “Only 21 percent of women across 14 European countries were aware of the connection between alcohol consumption and the risk of developing breast cancer,” the European branch of the WHO said in a statement, noting that awareness was even lower among men. “Just […]

Five key facts about cancer

By Olivier THIBAULT PARIS, Feb 1, 2024 (AFP) – With nearly 10 million deaths and nearly 20 million new cases in 2022, cancer remains one of the world’s biggest killers, according to a report on Thursday by the World Health Organization. Here are five key facts about the disease ahead of World Cancer Day on Sunday: – One in five people – Cancer — a disease that causes abnormal cells to multiply and spread — […]

New cancer cases to soar 77% by 2050: WHO

GENEVA, Feb 1, 2024 (AFP) – The number of new cancer cases will rise to more than 35 million in 2050 — 77 percent higher than the figure in 2022, the World Health Organization’s cancer agency warned Thursday. The WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) cited tobacco, alcohol, obesity and air pollution as key factors in the estimated rise. “Over 35 million new cancer cases are predicted in 2050”, a statement said, a […]

More than one billion now afflicted by obesity: Lancet

More than one billion people around the world are now suffering from obesity with the number having more than quadrupled since 1990, according to a study released by the Lancet medical journal. The “epidemic” is particularly hitting poorer countries and the rate is growing among children and adolescents faster than adults, according to the study carried out with the World Health Organization. The study, released ahead of World Obesity Day on March 4, estimated that […]

WHO coordinator describes Gaza hospitals in ‘rapid deterioration’

A World Health Organization official on Wednesday described dire conditions in the Gaza Strip’s remaining hospitals, where patients are “waiting to die” due to extreme shortages of staff and supplies. Emergency medical team coordinator Sean Casey said that during some five weeks he spent in the war-torn Palestinian territory, he saw hospital patients “every day with severe burns, with open fractures waiting hours or days” for treatment. “They would often ask me for food or […]

China reports no ‘unusual or novel pathogens’ in respiratory illnesses upsurge

By Ludovic EHRET BEIJING, Nov 23, 2023 (AFP) – China has reported no ‘unusual or novel pathogens’ in a respiratory illnesses spreading in the north of the country, the World Health Organization said Thursday. Northern China has recorded an increase in “influenza-like illness” since mid-October when compared to the same period in the previous three years, said the WHO, which had requested more information on the situation. China’s National Health Commission told reporters last week […]